KJV: Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
YLT: Thou, O king, wast looking, and lo, a certain great image. This image is mighty, and its brightness excellent; it is standing over-against thee, and its appearance is terrible.
Darby: Thou, O king, sawest, and behold, a great image. This image was mighty and its brightness excellent; it stood before thee, and its appearance was terrible.
ASV: Thou, O king, sawest, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible.
great image
The monarchy-vision. Nebuchadnezzar's dream, as interpreted by Daniel, gives the course and end of "the times of the Gentiles" Luke 21:24 . that is, of Gentile world-empire. The four metals composing the image are explained as symbolizing Daniel 2:38-40 four empires, not necessarily possessing the inhabited earth, but able to do so ( Daniel 2:38 ), and fulfilled in Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece (under Alexander), and Rome. The latter power is seen divided, first into two (the legs), fulfilled in the Eastern and Western Roman empires, and then into ten (the toes) See Scofield " Daniel 7:26 . As a whole, the image gives the imposing outward greatness and splendour of the Gentile world-power.
The smiting Stone Daniel 2:34 ; Daniel 2:35 destroys the Gentile world-system (in its final form) by a sudden and irremediable blow, not by the gradual processes of conversion and assimilation; and then, and not before, does the Stone become a mountain which fills "the whole earth." (Cf. Daniel 7:26 ; Daniel 7:27 ). Such a destruction of the Gentile monarchy-system did not occur at the first advent of Christ. On the contrary, He was put to death by the sentence of an officer of the fourth empire, which was then at the zenith of its power. Since the crucifixion the Roman empire has followed the course marked out in the vision, but Gentile world dominion still continues, and the crushing blow is still suspended. The detail of the end-time is given in Daniel 7:1-28 , and Revelation 13-19. It is important to see
(1) that Gentile world-power is to end in a sudden catastrophic judgment (see "Armageddon," Revelation 16:14 ; Revelation 19:21 ).
(2) that it is immediately followed by the kingdom of heaven, and that the God of the heavens does not set up His kingdom till after the destruction of the Gentile world- system. It is noteworthy that Gentile world-dominion begins and ends with a great image. Daniel 2:31 ; Revelation 13:14 ; Revelation 13:15 .
kings "Times of the Gentiles" Revelation 16:19 ; Luke 21:24 . Babylon (See Scofield " Isaiah 13:1 ")
Babylon Summary: The Times of the Gentiles is that long period beginning with the Babylonian captivity of Judah, under Nebuchadnezzar, and to be brought to an end by the destruction of Gentile world-power by the "stone cut out without hands" Daniel 2:34 ; Daniel 2:35 ; Daniel 2:44 i.e., the coming of the Lord in glory Revelation 19:11 ; Revelation 19:21 until which time Jerusalem is politically subject to Gentile rule. Luke 21:24 .
kings "Times of the Gentiles" Revelation 16:19 ; Luke 21:24 .
Babylon (See Scofield " Isaiah 13:1 ")
Verse Meaning
Daniel next pictured clearly and concisely what Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream. The king had been viewing a large statue that was standing before him. There is no basis in the text for concluding that this was an idol. The statue was extremely splendid and awe-inspiring because of its appearance. Daniel did not say if it was a statue of a man or a woman, though it was presumably a Prayer of Manasseh , or if it represented the king or someone whom the king knew. The important things about this statue were the materials that composed it and what happened to it. [source][source][source]
"The figure of a man was employed here because God wished to make known what would transpire during man"s day, the ages in which mortal man ruled the earth. Here, in one panoramic sweep, the whole history of human civilization is spread before us, from the days of Nebuchadnezzar to the end of time." [1][source]
Context Summary
Daniel 2:14-35 - Wisdom Granted In The Hour Of Need
The action of Daniel in this supreme crisis is very instructive. He reckoned absolutely on God, and in his chivalrous endeavor to save the lives of the aged men, the heads of the college in which he had been trained. He never doubted that God would be His stay. A prayer meeting was convened to ask for the merciful interposition of the God of heaven, and at its close Daniel seems to have lain down to sleep in unwavering faith. In this act we are reminded of Jesus sleeping amid the storm. Only a heart so pure and true, so trustful and godly, could have slept within the shadow of so terrible a menace. It was in a night-vision that he beheld the majestic procession of empire, from the gold of absolute monarchy to the clay and metal of constitutional government. Note his care to give all the glory to God and to take the humble position of the mere channel through which the divine message was transmitted to the king. [source]
Chapter Summary: Daniel 2
1Nebuchadnezzar, forgetting his dream, 5requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threats 10They acknowledging their inability are judged to die 14Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream 19He blesses God 24He staying the decree is brought to the king 31The dream 36The interpretation 46Daniel's advancement